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Kojiro Shiojiri: Setting new standards in cultural contact
JP/Wendra AjistyatamaA few weeks before his term in Indonesia came to an end, outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kojiro Shiojiri was presented with the shocking news of disasters back home: A massive earthquake and tsunami that destroyed extensive areas of Japan’s eastern coastline, killing up to 25,000 people and leaving 165,000 homeless
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JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
A few weeks before his term in Indonesia came to an end, outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kojiro Shiojiri was presented with the shocking news of disasters back home: A massive earthquake and tsunami that destroyed extensive areas of Japan’s eastern coastline, killing up to 25,000 people and leaving 165,000 homeless.
And this was followed by another disaster when nuclear facilities in Fukusima that were damaged from the earthquake leaked radioactive material into the surrounding area, sparking fears not only among the Japanese, but also people in other countries, of the potentially fatal effects of radiation from Fukushima.
Being an envoy in a foreign country and being confronted with such an unprecedented situation, Shiojiri could not just sit down and do nothing.
He understood that as a global economic powerhouse and an advanced country, the way Japan responded to and tackled these challenges following the major catastrophe was being closely monitored by people in other countries, particularly in Indonesia.
In this regard, Shiojiri said Japanese people should strive to set an example for others in such difficult situations.
“I told our government and people that the people of Indonesia were watching closely to see how we were handling the disasters. [I told them] we should get up as quickly as we could, to show Indonesians that Japan is a strong and resilient nation,” Shiojiri told executives at The Jakarta Post during a recent visit.
The outgoing ambassador bid farewell to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, about 10 days before he was due to return to Japan. Shiojiri is set to commence a new step in his career — as Japanese Ambassador to the European Union.
Shiojiri was born in Kyoto on Nov. 23, 1949. After he graduated from the reputable Keio University Shiojiri joined the Japanese Foreign Ministry in 1973, and 19 years later was appointed as the director of the international economy division of the ministry.
After completing his tenure as a deputy ambassador to the United States, Shiojiri was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Indonesia.
Shiojiri, who began his tenure in Indonesia in 2008, praised the country for being supportive to Japanese people during this difficult time.
The Japanese people are not only grappling with adverse impacts of the tsunami and nuclear disaster, but also fighting to deal with ingrained problems of an aging society and the economy.
Indonesians have held countless events, ranging from charities to concerts to show solidarity, support and sympathy for the plight of victims of the tsunami disaster and nuclear problems in Japan.
The supports of Indonesians has helped boost bilateral relations between Indonesia and Japan to new high.
Japan has a big interest in Indonesia. Indonesia provides Japan with raw materials for the production of energy and given its huge population, Indonesia has become a big market for Japanese products.
More than 10,000 Japanese people are working in Indonesia and their numbers have been increasing slightly over the past few years.
Economic cooperation between the two countries was further boosted through an economic partnership agreement signed in 2007 by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The partnership aims at enhancing Japanese investment in Indonesia, but the results have not yet been encouraging. According to economic observers, the partnership has been stifled by, among other things, many bylaws that create a high-cost economy, causing losses to existing investors and deterring others from investing in Indonesia, including those from Japan. This is an area that both countries need to improve on.
“Our relationship is excellent, but we want to make it more excellent. We want to bring more investment to Indonesia and in order to achieve that we need to make a good platform,” the outgoing ambassador said.
However, borrowing Shiojiri’s terms, sharing economic benefits is not enough to boost relations between the two countries.
Japan and Indonesia must also share values and culture to promote understanding between the peoples of both nations.
For this reason, the 62-year-old envoy diligently promotes cultural exchanges between Indonesia and Japan, and this activity highlighted his ambassadorial tenure here.
He often visited reguler schools and pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) to share and exchange views with students and teachers — the latest was a pesantren in Ciamis, around six hours’ drive from Jakarta.
“It was my favorite thing to do during my ambassadorial tenure here. The students often asked tough questions,” he said.
As part of his job, the father of two children has also been serious in his efforts to understand Indonesian culture, and has learned Indonesian and has good command of the language.
He has also earned a reputation for his skill in creating pantun (traditional poetry, each verse of which comprises two couplets; the first suggesting the second by sound or other similarity).
According to tempointeraktif.com, the Shiojiri has produced 95 such pantun during his tenure in Indonesia. These were often read out during cultural functions and visits to schools, and the contents were adjusted according to the events.
Many of these pantun were aimed at encouraging Indonesian students to work hard at their studies so they could achieve their dreams.
Among local figures, the ambassador, living here with his wife, is known to have a vast network of friends in the Indonesian community.
His networking skills can easily be judged from the huge turnout at events hosted by the Japanese embassy or those he hosted himself.
“The latest example was a few days ago when the Japanese embassy held a function here and there were a lot of guests. The ambassador has also been accessible,” said Dewi Savitri Wahab, the director of the Asia Pacific directorate at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, told the Post.
Regarding his stay in Indonesia, Shiojiri said it had been the most exciting time in his career, as he witnessed changes in the air for Indonesia.
“The Indonesian economy is robust; its democracy is well established and the country has increasingly been a responsible global player, as shown by its membership in the G-20. Japan pays respect to Indonesia,” he said.
